A Song of Ice and Fire

George R. R. Martin chose to not only carefully integrate religion into his series, but took the time to develop religious mythologies, belief systems, and organized strucutres behind the religions. In the beginning of the series, we learn that magic has returned to the world after a great comet is viewed in the sky. Red Priests of R'hllor find the ability to resurrect and see visions in the fire, fostering the belief that their god has spoken to them and the prophecies are coming true. Of course, the magic in the series appears to be completely unrelated to worship of any gods, as only now clergy are beginning to see any tangible 'results' of their worship. Clearly, Martin uses religion in the series as a means for the characters to rationalize what is happening in the world around them. When people are exposed to magic, they use their religious beliefs to explain what they have witnessed, and this takes place in the real world as well. Throughout history, we have seen religion fill the gaps where science has not yet reached, as a means of explaining extraordinary phenomenon. In a primitive world such as the one featured in Martin's series, science is nearly completely absent, and people are left to come up with their own conclusions for the events they witness. Through some careful words and simple tricks, religions are often able to gain followers to whom they've 'proven' the existence of their god through a 'miracle'. This website will be exploring the real world parallels to the series' major religions, examining the beliefs and practices of each. My goal is to explain the mindset of the people of Planetos, and how they perceive the magical events of their world.